Seabirds are fascinating, however they may also be elusive and troublesome to see, which works someway to clarify why the most important gaps in my life listing are the seafaring species. OK, I’ve been fortunate sufficient to have seen six species of albatross, however that does imply there’s one other 16 I haven’t seen. My rating of 20 petrels sounds fairly cheap, however that also leaves one other 80 I’ve by no means set eyes on.
I clearly haven’t spent sufficient of my time seawatching, travelling on ships to distant islands, or on devoted pelagic outings. Till final month I’d solely accomplished two pelagics in my life. The primary was off Cape City within the early 80s and was memorable for seeing albatrosses and Sabine’s Gulls. The second was from Wollongong in Australia within the late 90s. A spotlight on this journey was feeding chum to White-chinned Petrels by hand, and the Wandering Albatross that ate a lot chum it was uncertain whether or not it might take off once more. It was additionally an uncomfortable expertise in uneven waters: my companions all swore that they’d by no means do one other pelagic.
Look fastidiously and you will note the Marilimitado rib setting off from Sagres harbour (picture by Jan Tomlinson)
Happily I don’t get seasick, which was a reassuring thought as I set off final month on my newest pelagic. I used to be using in a rib (the time period for a big sea-going inflatable, outfitted with highly effective outboard), in firm with a dozen different adventurers. Our departure level was Sagres, probably the most south-westerly level on the European continent. The climate was variety, with sensible sunshine and little wind, however the sea was vigorous, which made using the rib – you sit astride slightly than on a seat – exhilarating.
You sit safely astride the seats within the rib
The pelagic was organised Marilimitado, (https://marilimitado.com/excursions/seabird-watching) an organization run by marine biologists; it presents devoted seabird watching excursions, in addition to ocean safaris and dolphin watching. It was reassuring to know that I used to be in each protected and skilled arms, and our captain actually knew the right way to deal with the boat, which he did with nice talent. However might he discover the birds for us? The listing of potentialities was appreciable, and ranged from 4 species of skuas to quite a lot of shearwaters and petrels.
An grownup Lesser Black-backed Gull
First-winter Yellow-legged Gulls (above and beneath)
Everyone knows that birding could be a matter of luck, and seabirding notably so. We weren’t, alas, fortunate on this journey, because the number of species we got here throughout was low, however what we did see was for me an actual deal with. It was additionally an introduction to the problem of making an attempt to determine and {photograph} birds from a small boat, rolling within the waves. All the things in regards to the pictures was troublesome, from managing to seek out the chicken within the viewfinder to capturing with the appropriate publicity. I took a substantial variety of pictures of an empty sea, with not a chicken to be seen. Even utilizing binoculars was difficult.
Improbably long-winged, Gannets displayed quite a lot of plumages
For the primary half hour there have been few excitements. Probably the most quite a few birds we noticed have been Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls, neither of which require a pelagic to view them. There have been additionally numerous Gannets, displaying a wealthy number of plumages from first-year birds to full adults – they take 5 years to realize full plumage. I failed dismally in my efforts to reveal for a superb white gannet swimming on a deep blue sea.
First view of a European Storm Petrel
European Storm Petrel. The broad white band on the underwing is diagnostic
Then, abruptly, the primary petrel – a European Storm Petrel – appeared fluttering over the waves, wanting very similar to a Home Martin with its darkish again and contrasting white rump. Measurement-wise it’s solely marginally greater than a Home Martin, so the comparability is a good one. Seeing storm petrels from shore is troublesome, so these first views have been a delight. Minutes later we encountered our first Cory’s Shearwaters. The skipper slowed the boat, and I even managed to get just a few sharp photos. Although I’ve seen Cory’s many occasions, as they’re comparatively simple to see from the shore, this was the primary time that I’d ever tried to {photograph} one.
Cory’s Shearwater (above and beneath).
Our skipper was searching for rafts of seabirds, however there have been no fishing boats within the neighborhood, so nothing actually to draw the birds. We did ultimately come throughout a gaggle of about 100 giant gulls, and swimming with them was a single shearwater: it proved to be a Nice Shearwater, a chicken that was a lifer for me (see header {photograph}). Minutes later I photographed one other because it flew previous the boat, a extremely satisfying second, because it was my first lifer in Europe since 2019.
Nice Shearwater (above and beneath). A protracted-awaited lifer
Inspired by the presence of the gulls, the skipper determined to throttle again the engine and chuck out the chum – the smelly meals that attracts within the petrels. He promised that inside a couple of minutes there could be numerous storm petrels across the boat. Certain sufficient, there have been quickly a dozen or so of those birds, fluttering round, providing tempting however often inconceivable targets for my digital camera. Watching these delicate little birds, seemingly strolling on the water, was a memorable expertise. Utilizing binoculars was troublesome, so I targeting making an attempt to take images as an alternative.
Wilson’s Storm Petrel. A species that breeds within the southern hemisphere however which will be seen reliably off the coast of Portugal. Word the darkish underwing of the chicken above
This chicken is revealing the diagnostic yellow webs of a Wilson’s Storm Petrel
The diagonal wing bar is a characteristic of Wilson’s Storm Petrel
Wilson’s Storm Petrels have proportionately longer legs than European Storm Petrels. As this {photograph} exhibits, their legs seem each lengthy and delicate
Although I used to be properly conscious of the opportunity of seeing Wilson’s Storm Petrels in addition to the marginally smaller European Storm Petrels, I didn’t consciously discover any. The variations between the 2 are refined, although I’m certain that separating them is simple with follow, that was one thing I didn’t have. It was solely after I was again on dry land, having fun with a lunch of grilled sardines in Sagres, that I had the possibility to scroll via the images on the again of my digital camera. Nearly without delay I noticed that a few of the petrels I’d photographed had yellow webs to their ft, a dependable identification characteristic for Wilson’s. Curiously, nearly all of my images proved to be pictures of Wilson’s slightly than European Storm Petrels, suggesting that the previous have been probably the most quite a few.
Shags are widespread on inshore waters round Sagres
After our chumming session it was time to go again for land – the outing was for 2 and half hours, and time was urgent. Our skipper hoped so as to add some additional species on our return, however the one ones we scored have been Audouin’s Gulls and Shags. It had, nonetheless, been a terrific outing, and the spotlight of my birding yr. It jogged my memory of what seabird guru Peter Harrison had inscribed in my copy of his e book Seabirds; an identification information. “Actual birds eat fish”.
